The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Forsaken Crown Prince’s Phantom Bride — Episode 43

“Tsk, they’re taking their time.”
Twenty minutes had already passed since the Bishop sent the novice priests upstairs.
He’d expected ten minutes would suffice, but as time dragged on, his displeasure only deepened.
“This is exactly why I wanted to bring Elite Priests instead of these amateurs.”
Elite Priests, cultivated in secret within the Temple. To all appearances indistinguishable from ordinary priests, yet the moment an order was given, they would obey to the letter—even if it cost them their limbs. They were the Temple’s instruments of war.
Admittedly, this particular task was simple enough that Elite Priests weren’t strictly necessary, but the regret gnawed at him nonetheless.
To command Elite Priests was to wield significant power—and power was something he would never refuse.
“I will ascend to the Papacy itself. You think I’d settle for this position?”
He would expand his influence inch by inch, until no one dared look down on him. And for that, once this business was finished, he would need to probe deeper into the Temple’s secrets.
Thud, thud—
Then, footsteps echoed down the Staircase. He checked his watch: exactly twenty-three minutes had passed. He pushed away from the wall.
“You’ve wasted quite a bit of time. I suppose you’re equally eager to become a Sacrifice?”
“A Sacrifice… Are you referring to me?”
At the unfamiliar voice, the Bishop flinched. A massive shadow descended the Staircase.
Gradually it sharpened, and a single foot came into view.
White hair. Golden eyes. Every mark of Imperial bloodline.
The Bishop had been told only that the target was a boy of around ten—and nothing more. His shock was evident. But he quickly regained his composure.
“Not the Crown Prince, then.”
How could eyes that gleamed with such malice belong to any innocent child of the Imperial Court?
The Bishop ceased his glare at the boy and instead studied the empty space behind him.
“What happened to the men who went upstairs?”
“Oh, them? I killed them all.”
The Bishop’s hands trembled.
“They tried to kidnap me outright, so I acted in self-defense.”
He spoke as casually as someone returning from an outing. That very nonchalance sent a chill down the Bishop’s spine.
“Ha… ha ha… Ordinary, they said? Where exactly is anything about you ordinary?”
He forced out a hollow laugh before his teeth clenched so hard they ached.
A child identical to the Crown Prince. Almost certainly a twin. The Imperial Court had concealed this fact with remarkable skill.
Recalling his orders from above, his superiors clearly knew an Imperial Grandchild was here.
Regardless of how hidden an Imperial Grandchild might be from the world, one could not lay hands on them carelessly.
Which meant if something went wrong, the Temple would discard him like a chess piece.
The Bishop’s teeth ground together.
“Since matters have come to this… we were supposed to offer him as a Sacrifice in ten years, but…”
Black Flame erupted across the Bishop’s palms.
“I have no choice but to make him a Sacrifice here and now!”
As the Bishop revealed his true nature, Lucian—or rather, Kaiser wearing Lucian’s face—let his eyes grow cold and sharp.

‘I do not know the full details myself. We were simply given two Sacrifices—a death-row inmate and one novice priest—and ordered to ascertain the condition of the ten-year-old child said to be within this Mansion.’

Xavier’s words had been truthful enough.
They had no intention of making Lucian a Sacrifice today, but he was certainly on their list of candidates.
‘Vermin. As if I’d allow such a thing to pass.’
Kaiser too prepared himself and fixed his gaze upon the man before him.
In truth, the trauma of the Basement still clung to him.
Two years ago, the phantom’s presence—felt in that dark place—had returned, and he sensed it now across his skin.
But there was a difference from two years before: this time, the phantom aided him.
The phantom’s whisper reached him.
—They are those who defy the order of the world. Their source of power differs from ours.
“But they are not invincible.”
—I will aid you. Every last one of these traitors must be erased!
The Black Flame the Bishop summoned

radiated heat.
Red Dragons possessed inherent flame resistance; they felt no warmth from ordinary fire unless it matched a breath attack in potency.
That such a small Black Flame felt scorching meant it was no ordinary attack.
—Black Flame does not extinguish unless the caster dies or retracts it. Once it takes hold, there is no escape.
The phantom offered timely counsel.
“I know that much…!”
Kaiser ground his teeth and evaded the Bishop’s strike.
With each dodge, the Black Flame’s reach widened. At this rate, he would be surrounded.
“Kahahaha! If you yield without resistance, I’ll spare you the pain. You’ll die without even knowing it!”
“Your breath stinks of sewage.”
Kaiser snorted dismissively and sidestepped with ease. Yet he found it difficult to close the distance.
He wanted nothing more than to use Mind Control to extract information, but his ability was still limited—he needed to grasp the target’s head and lock eyes for approximately five seconds.
To do so meant closing within arm’s reach, but the Black Flame blooming from the Bishop’s hands was an obstacle.
Damn it. What could he possibly do?
—I shall teach you a certain art.
“I’m a bit occupied, thanks? I don’t have time for lessons!”
—Any Red Dragon can master it.
Kaiser’s eyes widened. As he turned his attention toward the phantom’s presence, his green gaze curved into crescents of realization.
—There is but one counter to Black Flame: White Flame, which carries purifying power

.
“Damn it! Only a Lord can use that, you bastard!”
—It seems you can already wield Blue Flame

.
The flame he had wielded on the first floor when shattering Xavier’s incantation.
That had been Blue Flame. Not as potent as White Flame, yet it possessed the ability to nullify Supernatural Power.
—I will aid you.
“Kgh! You’d better not fail! This time, I’ll tear your very soul to shreds!”
Kaiser had no choice but to surrender his body to the phantom.
The sensation of two souls crowding into one vessel. Repulsive beyond measure. Yet paradoxically, power flooded through every fiber of his being.
As Kaiser’s muttering suddenly shifted in intensity, the Bishop hesitated.
“Hmph, such theatrics. You can’t even approach me—what exactly do you think you’ll accomplish?”
Lucian’s golden eyes slowly faded as Kaiser’s green gaze emerged in the left eye.
“The lifespans of traitors stretch too long. Vermin who cannot even raise their heads in my presence.”
Whoosh—
In stark contrast to the Bishop’s pitch-black flame, pristine white flame suddenly enveloped Kaiser’s entire form.
The Bishop’s teeth chattered. Goosebumps erupted across his body from his nape downward.
Instinct commanded him:
Flee from that flame at once!
The moment the Bishop stumbled backward, Kaiser closed the distance in a blink.
“Too late.”
As Kaiser’s hands rose, the Bishop’s Black Flame was torn from his grasp and sent soaring into the air.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
In an instant, the Bishop’s hands were severed. His scream of agony tore from his throat—only to be cut short as Kaiser’s fingers found his jaw.
The pristine white flame flickered before his eyes and wrapped around the Bishop’s head.
Arrrrgh! Arrrrrrgh!
The white flame spread across every inch of the Bishop’s body.
It consumed nothing—only an overwhelming heat seared through him.
Purification. For one who wielded Supernatural Power, it was veritable poison.
“Tell me everything you know. If you refuse…”
I’ll show you what it means to wish for death and find no escape.

* * *

Bright sunlight filtered through closed eyelids. As his eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened, a vast forest stretched before him.
Birdsong, the murmur of a stream, leaves rustling in the wind.
Everything felt strange and new.
Yet somehow, his heart grew calm.
‘How many times must I tell you? That’s not how you do it!’
Then a familiar voice pierced through his consciousness.
He turned to see two figures huddled near a campfire.
‘Just eat it already! What’s the problem?’
‘Are you some kind of lizard like him? At least skin it first before eating!’
A woman with dark hair whipping about her shoulders and a man with long red locks argued vehemently about who was right.
It was a scene he’d witnessed countless times.
Laughter bubbled up unbidden, and he found himself laughing freely.
At the sound of that bright laughter, the two stopped their quarrel and turned toward him.
‘Instead of laughing, why don’t you say something? This lizard is ruining our dinner!’
‘Lizard, lizard! I am the future Lord Red Dragon! You ignorant witch!’
‘Ha! You’d be dead if not for me!’
‘No matter how much my savior you may be, a fact remains a fact!’
‘Tch… Ah! Leon! What do you think?!’
The woman called a witch turned directly toward him and spoke.
As he prepared to answer in her stead, his voice suddenly would not come.
…Sian!
He needed to answer quickly. They were waiting for his response.
…Lucian!
Who was Lucian? His name wasn’t Lucian, it was Leon—no, wait…
Lucian!

.
.

Gasp!
At the voice cutting sharply through his ear, Lucian’s eyes snapped open and he bolted upright in bed, pulling in a sharp breath.
His entire body was drenched in sweat, and for some reason his eyes felt damp.
When he rubbed his eyes, tears came away on his fingers.
“…Why was I crying?”
He’d been dreaming of something precious. But what had it been?
He desperately wanted to return to that dream.
Lucian buried his face in his hands and bent forward.
“Lucian! This is no time for that!”
At the familiar voice, he looked to the side in confusion. Dio sat there disheveled and urgent, eyes wide with alarm.
“Dio? What are you doing here… Oh, right. I told you to stay over last night.”
He’d momentarily forgotten that he’d invited Dio to the house.
“It’s only one in the morning. What’s wrong?”
He’d thought he’d slept long, but the darkness still clung to the world outside, and the clock read one o’clock.
“Did you need the bathroom?”
“That’s not it. Something’s been off about the house for a while now.”
“Hm?”
“I kept hearing screams coming from somewhere. I thought I was imagining things at first, but…”
Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem to be lying.
“Screams? You’re sure you heard them right?”
“I’m telling you! It’s been going on for thirty minutes! And the Mansion was shaking too!”
Lucian looked around. It was his familiar bedroom, exactly as always. No matter how intently he listened, he heard no screams—not even voices. The Mansion was perfectly quiet.
“Stop saying I imagined it. I’ve been awake for the past forty minutes.”
“Then why didn’t you wake me sooner?”
“I tried shaking you, but you wouldn’t wake up!”
Ah, I see.
Lucian scratched the back of his head with a vacant expression. Clearly, Dio was badly frightened.
The boy sat trembling beneath his blanket.
“Just wait here. I’ll call Lia and Kaiser.”
“What?! No, don’t! Don’t leave me!”
“I won’t go outside the room. I’ll just call from here.”
Once he’d managed to calm Dio somewhat, Lucian reached for the Bell Cord beside the bed and pulled it.
Normally, Lia would arrive within a minute of him ringing it.
Yet no matter how long he waited, Lia did not appear.
“L-Lia? Are you coming?”
Dio asked from beneath his blanket.
“No.”
He pulled the cord again, and then again, but Lia did not come.
It was strange. She had never once failed to appear before.
“…It seems something really has happened at the Mansion. I should go investigate.”
“Let’s just stay in the room!”
“You stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
As Lucian fumbled for his Lantern and shoes, Dio hesitated before ultimately deciding to follow him.
The moment they stepped into the hallway, an endless corridor stretched before them—dark, unlit, and oppressive.
The atmosphere of a haunted house hung thick in the air. Dio’s face went ashen, while Lucian, contrary to his usual composure, found himself frowning at the darkened Mansion.
“Lia always keeps the lights lit…”
She was the one who lit candles at night, always afraid he might be scared. Yet now every flame was extinguished.
“W-where are you…!”
As Lucian quickened his pace, Dio hurried to follow. Lucian’s path led toward the Staircase.
The moment he descended to the first floor to survey the Living Room—
Thud—
“Huh?”
Something caught beneath his foot. He lowered the Lantern to look.
“N-nooooo!”
A strange man lay sprawled on the floor, eyes wide and unseeing, his body gone cold with death.
Dio recoiled in horror, while Lucian himself froze in shock.
“L-Lucian! Look over there!”
Dio pointed ahead, having noticed something else.
Lucian extended the Lantern further, and two more corpses came into view.
Each bore different signs of how death had come, but death had certainly claimed them all.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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